Defence Online

Type of document: Contract Notice
Country: United Kingdom
Publication Ref: (2024/S 000-005306/EN)
Nature of contract: Supply contract
Procedure: Award of a contract without prior publication
Type of bid required: Not applicable

Voluntary ex ante transparency notice
Supplies

Section I: Contracting authority
I.1) Name and addresses
Official name: MINISTRY OF DEFENCE
Postal address: MAIN BUILDING WHITEHALL
Town: LONDON
Postal code: SW1A2HB
Country: United Kingdom
Contact Person: Selina Groves
Email: Selina.groves106@mod.gov.uk
Internet address(es):
Main address:

I.4) Type of the contracting authority
Ministry or any other national or federal authority, including their regional or local sub-divisions
I.5) Main activity
Defence

Section II: Object
II.1) Scope of the procurement
II.1.1) Title: VTN – Project ASurvey – The Provision of an Automated Aircraft Inspection Capability for Poseidon MRA-Mk1 Aircraft of the Royal Air Force
II.1.2) Main CPV code: 34114000
II.1.3) Type of contract Supplies
II.1.4) Short Description:
An automated aircraft inspection capability, for the RAF’s Poseidon MRA-Mk1 (P8-A), enabling fast, accurate and detailed damage mapping of external airframe damage.
Military aircraft are subject to numerous hazards due to harsh operating conditions, in-flight refuelling or loading and unloading during ground operations. Whether at their home base or during operational deployments, fleet availability and optimal aircraft condition are key to guarantee efficiency and safety of operations. As a proof of concept, Project ASURVEY will use autonomous drone technology at RAF Lossiemouth on Poseidon MRA-Mk1. As the air system is new into service, the CAMO will be able to establish a detailed baseline of the aircraft external condition and maintain a comprehensive history of damage to individual tail numbers. This will be able to feed into the aircraft structural integrity, and environmental protection working groups. The data produced for each tail number would further enable the CAMO’s data exploitation working group, identifying common and unusual trends,
II.1.6) Information about lots
The contract is divided into lots: no
II.1.7) Total value of the procurement(excluding VAT)
Value:200000.00
Currency:GBP
II.2) Description
II.2.3) Place of performance
Nuts code:
II.2.4) Description of the procurement
An automated aircraft inspection capability, initially for the RAF’s Poseidon MRA-Mk1 (P8-A), enabling fast, accurate and detailed damage mapping of external airframe damage

II.2.5) Award criteria
II.2.11) Information about options
Options: no
II.2.13) Information about European Union funds
The procurement is related to a project and/or programme financed by European Union funds: no
Section IV: Procedure
IV.1) Description
IV.1.1) Type of procedure
Award of a contract without prior publication of a call for competition in the Official Journal of the European Union in the cases listed below
(please complete point 2 of the Annex D)
IV.1.8) Information about the Government Procurement Agreement(GPA)
The procurement is covered by the Government Procurement Agreement: no
IV.2) Administrative information

Section V: Award of contract/concession
V.2) Award of contract/concession
V.2.1) Date of conclusion of the contract/concession award decision:2024-02-19
V.2.2) Information about tenders
V.2.3) Name and address of the contractor
Official name: DONECLE
Postal address: 55 Avenue Louis Breguet Batiment 6
Town: 31400 Toulouse
Country: France
Nuts code:
The contractor is an SME: yes

V.2.4) Information on value of the contract/lot/concession(excluding VAT)
for framework agreements – total maximum value for this lot
for contracts based on framework agreements, if required – value of contract(s) for this lot not included in
previous contract award notices

Section VI: Complementary informationVI.4) Procedures for review
VI.4.1) Review body
Official name: Air Commercial
Town: High Wycombe
Postal code: HP14 4UE
Country: United Kingdom

VI.5) Date of dispatch of this notice:
2024-02-19

Other justification for the award of the contract without prior publication of a call for competition
in the Official Journal of the European Union
The procurement falls outside the scope of application of the directive

3.Explanation
Please explain in a clear and comprehensive manner why the award of the contract without prior publication in the Official Journal of the European Union
is lawful, by stating the relevant facts and, as appropriate, the conclusions of law in accordance with the directive:
The Air Commercial, part of the UK Ministry of Defence (the “Authority”), intends to award a contract to Donecle for the The Provision of an Automated Aircraft Inspection Capability for a period of 2 years. The estimated contract value is circa £200,000 excluding VAT.
In accordance with regulation 4 of the Defence and Security Public Contracts (Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 (SI 2019/697) this procurement falls to be regulated under the provisions of the Defence and Security Public Contracts Regulations 2011 as amended (in particular by SI 2019/697 and SI 2020/1450). Prior publication of a contract notice in the Official Journal of the European Union is no longer appropriate. It is considered that the award of the contract without prior publication of a contract notice in the UK e-notification service (as required by the relevant legislation) is lawful in accordance with [Regulation 16(1)(a)(ii) of the DSPCR 2011 for technical reasons. This is because only Donecle has the technology suitably accredited to undertake this task in line with acceptable SyOPs parameters and has the know-how solution to achieve the requirement. Donecle solution is the only equipment with full security accreditation from the Air Accreditor for use. Accordingly, the Authority’s view is that the circumstances specified in regulation 16(1)(a)(ii) is satisfied.”